Electric components have been constructed for some time by means of conducting conjugated polymers. For example, diodes in the form of Schottky-barriers between conducting polymers and metals have been studied in detail in the publication of J. Kanicki "Polymer Semiconductor Contacts and Photovoltaic Applications" in the Handbook of Conducting Polymers, Vol. 1, 543 (1986), Ed. by T. A. Skotheim. Studies of contacts between polymers and semiconductors have also been carried out, e.g. by O. Inganas, T. Skotheim and I. Lundstrom, Phys. scr. 25, 863 (1982), and by S. Glenis and A. J. Frank, Synth, Met. 28, C715 (1989).
The polymers which were studied were prepared in the form of either films on a metallic, semiconducting or insulating substrate. With respect to the need for a further contact point, this has been mounted by a vacuum steaming a metal directly onto the polymer surface. In some cases, the polymer has been directly electro-synthesized on the metal structure, which is constructed to be used as a field effect transistor, e.g. note the publication of A. Tsumura, H. Koezuka and T. Ando, Synth. Met 25, 11 (1988).
Polymers which are capable of being processed have become available lately and have also become utilized for the construction of polymer components. R. Friend in Cambridge has utilized a prepolymer for a polyacetylene, which is formed into a thin film on a substrate. The polymer is then modified into a conducting polymer for the polyacetylene in a thermic phase. The contacts with this film placed therein by steaming can be used for forming polymer components, as has been shown, e.g. by J. H. Burroughes, C. A. Jones and R. H. Friend in the publication "Nature" 335, 137 (1988). It has earlier been shown (A. Assadi, C. Svensson, M. Willander and O. Inganas, Appl. Phys. Lett. 53, 195 (1988)), how thin thins of poly(3-alkylthiophene) can be placed on completed structures for forming field effect transistors. For forming diodes, H. Tomazawa, D. Braun, S. Phillips, A. J. Heeger and H. Kroemer, Synth. Met. 22, 63 (1987) require a contact with two separate metal surfaces. However, this cannot be formed in a simple manner by utilizing the same technique as used in the construction of field effect transistors. The most simple way is to sputter or steam a metal film directly on the surface of the conducting polymer, which in turn is already located on another metal film.